Course Outline: Course Outline: This two-credit course will cover United States asylum and refugee law, as well as protection under the Convention Against Torture and withholding of removal. We will also discuss policies underlying asylum law, and the federal immigration agencies which implement those policies. The course will also deal with cutting-edge topics in this area including asylum gang-related claims, gender-based claims, and imputed grounds of protection.

This is a seminar course. As such, we wish to emphasize this is principally a discussion class. You will be expected to participate on a daily basis in each class session. The goal for each class is for the reading to be the “jumping off point” for each discussion. We will assume you have all done the reading and thought deeply about it. Either Professor Hoffman or Professor Modi (or both) will lead the discussion and provide questions as topics for the conversation. Each student will be expected to comment on the day’s topic so we should not need “to call on” students.

Prerequisites: Previous immigration course work or experience is not necessary.

First Day Assignments: Week 1: Overview of Asylum and Refugee Law (Jan. 18 )
We will lead discussion of basic elements of an asylum case; withholding; and relief under the Convention Against Torture; overview of fundamentals of immigration law

Students must purchase the book directly from the publisher to receive the student price of $75.00. To order directly from AILA, go to agora.aila.org and sign in using your AILA student member account. If you are a first time customer, please follow the steps to create a Non-Member Account. Choose “Law Student” as your Person Type. Only “Law Student” person types can apply the coupon code during check out. Coupon Code: ASYWIN16.

ISBN: 978-1-57370-376-5; SKU: 53-76

As a resource only: Deborah Anker, Law of Asylum in the United States (West 2016 ed.); Kurzban’s Immigration Law Sourcebook (15th ed. 2016).